Missing Teeth

1. Dental Implants: These can replace one or more teeth and do not need preparation or cause damage to the adjacent teeth. If that option is possible then implants can give the longest lasting solution and have the best success rate and is most easily tolerated.
2. Bridges: Dental bridges literally bridge the gap between one or more missing teeth. A bridge involves replacing the missing teeth with false teeth which are in some way bonded or fixed to the healthy teeth adjacent to the gap to give a replacement which does not need to be removed. There are different ways of achieving this and your dentist will discuss the options available.
3. Dentures: These are often a very good solution where there are many missing teeth on both sides of the mouth. They can look great but are not fixed to the teeth and so there will be movement during eating as they are removable and not fixed like bridges or implants.

There is also one other option and that is to leave the space and do nothing. When this is at the back of the mouth and not visible it is often what many people will choose. However, it is essential that this situation is monitored carefully by your dentist as over time there will be movement of the adjacent and opposing teeth which will lead to further bite and gum problems and potential further tooth loss.